Taking cognisance of the growing number of unlicensed pet shops across Uttarakhand, authorities have taken a decisive step towards their regulation and compliance with animal welfare laws. A notification was issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) on May 1, requesting all State Governments to ensure that pet shops and breeding establishments are allowed to reopen post lockdown only after registration with the State Animal Welfare Board (SAWB).
Various orders were then subsequently issued by the Government of Uttarakhand for the implementation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018. Earlier in May, the State's Animal Husbandry secretary issued an order to all district magistrates and the director general of police to ensure that only those pet shops and breeding centres which registered with SAWB are allowed to reopen after the lockdown. After that, the district magistrates of Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun and Haridwar also issued similar orders to sub divisional magistrates and senior superintendents of police concerned.
Earlier in November 2018 in a writ petition filed by Gauri Maulekhi of People For Animals (PFA), the High Court of Uttarakhand had directed the Government of Uttarakhand to ensure all unregistered pet shops to be shut down immediately, but several shops and dog breeders were operating in the state in contempt of the court orders. Under the rules, sale and marketing of animals in a shop or online is only permissible if necessary registration is obtained from the SAWB.
According to Maulekhi, pet shops and dog breeders in Uttarakhand have been defying the law and operating without registration for many years. Such illegal establishments not only perpetrate cruelty to animals but also cheat buyers by not giving receipts, maintaining records of acquisition or health or even sales, thereby evading taxes and responsibility for welfare. “Cruelty in dog breeding centers is immense. Female dogs are put through back to back pregnancies and their unweaned babies are snatched from them and sold as and when customers are available.
Tails and ears of some species of dogs are mutilated by breeders on demand, even though such barbaric practices are illegal as per the rules. Unsold pups are usually killed by drowning since they are of no commercial value.
On the other hand, the state government is running a robust animal birth control programme of dogs and encourages adoption of Indian dogs,” she said, while adding that PFA lauds the timely directions passed by the Uttarakhand authorities and hopes for strict enforcement of the rules.
